No matter how clear or obvious our spiritual guidance, we sometimes miss its initial expression. We feel an impulse to call a friend, complete a task, or clarify an understanding, but then dismiss it. The impulse recurs and we think, “Oh, yeah. I gotta do that,” but still we procrastinate. Eventually, something happens that can’t be ignored: the friendship falters, the leaky pipe bursts, the small miscommunication snowballs into a family feud.

God's light, love, and comforting, healing presence are far more powerful than darkness, pain and loss. But it's up to those of us who know this to bring it into expression, especially in the aftermath of the Boston tragedy.

The Hebrew Bible is filled with accounts of Israelites being punished for worshipping false idols. God is repeatedly characterized as an abusive father punishing his kids for disobeying. It's apparently a very big issue. Indeed, "I am the Lord your God," and "Thou shall bring no other Gods before me," take the top two spots in the Ten Commandments.

Sacred connections between kindred strangers are powerful expressions of God's love and its power to heal. In this heart-opening story from her recent trip to Kauai, UNS member Trisha Ricketts reminds us that the divine within is mightier than any earthly schism -- even wounds of war.